also id sign broughton jewitt and sneyd on for longer and neal coz i think given game time could be a good prop/2nd row

I wouldn't say Howarth is awful but hes not a hooker thats for sure. Probably a 13 if he can bulk up. Out of the list of out of contract players only two to be kept for me, Jewitt is easily our best prop and is good enough for a top 8 team, and Jodie obviously. The rest can go, Sneyd and Neal will never be good enough so let them go else where to ply there trade. Out of last years contracts handed out, wtf were we doing giving Gibson and Williams 2 yr deals??

he is not good enough for where we want to be imo and i dont get why people think mcphersons a 2nd row he is a prop. plus few comments about ashurst bizzare me as i thought he was one of our most consistant player last year and for me our best forward

Yeah totally agree about ashurst, I rate him as I do McPhearson at prop. All I meant with Howarth was hes not awful but he is not playing in his natural position I think. Either way I agree he isn't a top 8 player so this should be his last seasonw ith us. With regards to Ashurst, I think he wasn't far off our player of the year last year, hes got a good size to him, can shift and has good hands. People forget he is still only young and that was his first full season as a first team regular. I think McPhearsons problem is his fitness, I would love to watch him get a real run of games under his belt, but even now he looks heavily strapped which is a worry. Don't think he is a 2nd row as I don't think he has the hands for it.

Gibson was our top try scorer last year with 16 and Williams was only 3 behind Broughton and bagged 12.

Gibson is a liabilty in defence and has no size, power or speed to him and Williams makes loads of mistakes. Its all very well and good putting your hand up saying my fault, but how many times does it happen? He is terrible under the bomb and isn't that quick! Neither are good enough for top 8 team or even a SL team to mention it. Name another team where these two would get a game? no one, we have carried them a season too long

16 try's in 16 games iirc. I have no problem with Gibson being given a two year contract as a back up 3/4. Williams has been a great signing for us too.

Ideally this year I imagin the 3/4 line to be

Broughton
McGoldrick (I think he could go well at 13 if we signed another Centre)
Gleeson
Williams

with Gibson as back up.

Theo at 6 with Foran at 7. I am not sold on Snyed being a player who can take us to where Koukash wants us to be.

Does nobody else feel Gibson would go well at full back?

Gibson imo isn't an automatic first choice player and more a squad player. He may not get a starting place in other SL teams but some clubs maybe would take him as a cover player. I think it's unfair to comment on why players were offered contracts when we don't know what they were offered. Perhaps PV and Longy thought Gibson and Williams were good value for what they were being paid?

Furthermore the clubs circumstances have changed drastically since last year and knowbody could have foreseen this takeover by Dr Koukash.

Re Danny Williams. While he is strong and takes his scoring chances well, He just does not have pace and yes he does make quite a few mistakes in defence. But the big picture really starts next season

Early Bath, what makes you think Cipriani would put stacks on the attendance? Hasn't had that effect for Sale, so not sure why it would for us?

Talent Spotter - What makes you think he hasnt put numbers on? Lots of Sale fans (thousands I believe) apparently have given Barton a miss.

The point I am making is that there are many RU players who would pay for themselves with gate increases and maybe the Directors could make an appropriate deal for them if they did achieve increases.

Times have changed and we must look for better players and with the RU season near to the end there may be opportunities to give many RU players (esp Forwards) a trial. Little to lose judging on the size of our pack.